Poor self-esteem and body image lead to weight gain and poor mental health in teens.empire news

Promoting positive body image and self-esteem in children may help reduce the deterioration of mental health associated with adolescent weight gain.

These are the results of a study of more than 12,000 children in the UK, in which researchers at Imperial College London explored the relationship between mental health and body mass index (BMI) throughout adolescence. The influence of social factors was investigated.

The link between being overweight in children and being more likely to have worse mental health is well established. Obese adolescents with emotional difficulties such as depression and anxiety are about twice as likely as adolescents with a healthy BMI (19% vs. 10%).^[1]

but, latest researchResearchers have found that increasing children’s appearance and self-esteem satisfaction from early adolescence may help protect against the negative effects of having a significant impact on mental health. .

They used data collected when young people were 11, 14, and 17 years old to determine how young people felt about their appearance, self-esteem, bullying and dieting experiences, BMI and mental health issues. We measured a variety of factors, including whether

At the population level, the researchers found that children’s physical well-being and self-esteem had the greatest impact on the relationship between BMI and mental health, further exacerbating poor mental health through the late teens. I discovered.

Links between mental and physical health are well established, with overweight or obese children far more likely to suffer from social and emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. I know Dr. Hannah Kleese Faculty of Public Health

The study found that overweight 11-year-olds were more likely than average-weight children to have poor body image and low self-esteem as they entered their teenage years.

Boys and girls who are dissatisfied with their appearance and have low self-esteem at age 14 then have mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, aggression, and impulsivity at age 17. more likely and also have a higher BMI than those with a more positive self-image.

According to the authors, their study was published in a journal e clinical medicine It is the largest of its kind and provides the most representative snapshot of population-level trends in psychosocial factors in UK children.

They found that prevention strategies in national curricula, industry, and social media platforms to de-stigmatize children’s weight and encourage healthy body image were associated with a range of negative social and emotional problems later in life. It is necessary to reduce the

Dr. Hannah KleeseProfessor at the Imperial College London School of Public Health and lead author of the study said: “Links between mental and physical health are well established, and overweight or obese children are much more likely to suffer from social and emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. I know that. However, it is difficult to identify the various factors that cause these outcomes, such as the complex bidirectional relationship between mental health and BMI.

“Maintaining a healthy weight is important for children, but our research does not show that it is at the expense of children’s long-term mental health, or that weight is blamed for poor body image and low self-esteem. It emphasizes that it should not be achieved by doing so, as it can have detrimental and long-term consequences.”

In their analysis, the researchers analyzed data from the Millennium Cohort Study.^[2] A nationally representative dataset that collects information on approximately 19,000 children born in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland between 2000 and 2002. It contained data on her 12,450 children aged 11 to her 17 (2018).Data includes measurements of BMI (kg/m3)²) normalized by sex and age (BMI Z-score),^[3] Parents reported scores on validated questionnaires on adolescents’ mental health and dieting behavior, appearance well-being, self-esteem, and bullying experience reported by 14-year-olds themselves.

body image and self-esteem

The analysis found that children’s well-being and self-esteem about their appearance helped explain the impact of being overweight on their risk of mental health problems. Each increase in BMI Z-score at age 11 years was associated with an increased score of appearance unhappiness (0.12 in boys and 0.19 in girls) and an increased probability of low self-esteem (16% in boys and 22% in girls). Was. Girls and boys who are dissatisfied with their appearance and have low self-esteem at age 14 are likely to exhibit emotional and social symptoms such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, aggression and impulsivity at age 17. it was high.

Obesity, Diet, Bullying

This study showed an association between increased BMI and mental health. Obese children were more likely to have emotional problems at age 11 than healthy-weight children (18.9% vs. 10.3% for boys and 18.7% vs. 10.8% for girls).

Being overweight has been established as a common reason for early childhood bullying, and analyzes have shown that children who frequently reported bullying had better mental health throughout adolescence than children who were not bullied. indicated that the condition was likely to deteriorate. However, no significant association was found between being overweight and frequent bullying or the effect of bullying on later weight status. The analysis also found that dieting behavior was associated with higher BMI, but not with worsening mental health.

Measures to end weight stigma

According to the authors, a variety of interventions have been established to reduce obesity and improve mental health among young people, including campaigns to promote healthy eating habits at home and in schools, and encouraging children to receive mental health support. There are apps and phone lines that encourage access. .

However, promoting positive body image and self-esteem among young people through education and the media would benefit both the physical and mental health of the British public. For example, restricting children’s access to social media that promotes unrealistic or unhealthy body image, or teaching classes on positive body image in schools.

Dr. Dougal HargreavesThe lead author of the study, Professor of Public Health at Imperial College London, said: “Adolescence is a critical stage in which the foundations for lifelong patterns of mental health and weight are laid, and we need to invest in appropriate support for young people during this critical period.” and may lead to economic benefits. This study suggests that reducing weight stigma in adolescents may be an important step towards improving long-term outcomes.

“It’s important to remember that today’s children are not growing up in the same world as their grandparents and parents and are facing new and growing social pressures. We really want the best for our children.” So we need to be generous with our money and promote healthy behaviors and attitudes at a societal level.”

Dr. Dasha NicholsA child psychiatrist and eating disorder expert at Imperial College London’s School of Brain Sciences, he said, “Heavier children are at higher risk of mental health problems, including eating disorders, and more physical and mental health problems. “Low satisfaction and diet are well-established risk factors.” This research adds to the evidence that helping young adolescents develop a positive body image and develop self-confidence and self-esteem is critical to their mental and physical health in the long run. ”

The authors emphasize that the trends seen in their analysis are broadly applicable at the population level, but cannot be used to predict outcomes for individual children. They also emphasize that while the study does not focus on the direct impact of social media on body image and self-esteem, it does acknowledge the strong influence of social media. The data collection deadline is 2018, so the increased use of social media by children and teens in recent years or during the COVID-19 pandemic is not taken into account.

This study was funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) School of Public Health Research.

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‘The role of diet, appearance well-being, self-esteem and bullying in the relationship between mental health and body mass index in UK adolescents: A longitudinal analysis of the Millennium Cohort StudyA paper by Hanna Creese, Sonia Saxena, Dasha Nicholls, Ana Pascual-Sanchez, and Dougal Hargreaves has been published in eClinical Medicine. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101992